Fighting a dragon, saving the princess and going for another quest – this is how most people, who have only heard about knights from the tales of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, imagine a Medieval knight. However, the reality was far more complicated than that. With an impeccably virtuous lifestyle imposed on them by the Christian Church, Medieval knights were the representation of the qualities that would later on be turned into a cult, with the image of a knight becoming a role model for the entire male population.
As history says, the origin of knighthood was far too ancient to be jeopardized by the morals and principles of the Dark Ages. Created at the dawn of the Roman and Byzantine Empires reign and known as Bucellarii (Abels, n. d., para. 6), knighthood seemed a very fortunate substitute for a regular army for the kings of Britain in XIII–XIV centuries, which is why it was supported by all means possible.
Thus, the premises for the evolution of a unique culture that was fully independent from the influence of the Middle Ages morals and standards were being born. In many senses, knighthood shaped the moral standards of the Middle Ages.
The principles that Medieval knights considered their code of conduct were quite simple and could, probably, even fit the modern idea of a courageous and chivalrous person. The following character traits were traditionally considered essential for the Medieval knights; anyone who acted otherwise was to be shunned till the end of his days.
Chivalry presupposed a gentleman-like attitude towards women, without the least bit of chauvinist condescendence, which would become a norm several centuries later and, thus, set the progress backwards, throwing the relationships between the two genders several centuries back).
Courage meant the absolute recklessness, i.e., going beyond one’s instincts of self-preservation. A rather doubtful concept in the present-day world, in the Medieval Era, the given idea correlated with the principle of devotion and, therefore, was rather legitimate.
Mercy involved sympathy towards the enemy, who was defeated, and sparing his life. Even after disarming his arch nemesis, a knight would never kill him as long as the former remained defenseless. The principles of fair fight were coined by none other than Medieval knights.
Piety was encouraged by the Church, since knighthood was based on Christian virtues and, therefore, ruled by the Christian principles.
Devotion should also be named among the key qualities; knights were expected not only to serve, but also to trust their lord completely.
Nobility made knights protected the weak and fought for the defenseless.
Faith presupposed that knights could not allow giving up on their convictions even when facing death.
Respecting and honoring of women was the duty of every knight.
In addition, knights were to adhere to the principles of justice. Eschewing unfairness was the ultimate goal of knights.
Finally, unselfishness was another prominent feature of a Medieval knight – no knight would ever accept a monetary reward.
Leaving a major cultural heritage, knights became a staple of noble and chivalrous men with impeccable behavior and devotion that could withstand the threats of an enemy, tempting yet dubious rewards and the test of time. No matter how flawed and violent the Medieval society was, knights, guided by the church, managed to contribute to making this society a little more humane. Much to their credit, they seem to have succeeded.
Reference List
Abels, R. (n. d.). Feudalism. Web.